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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://pollinator.org/pdfs/NPW.pdf">Click Here </a>for pdf of Release.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><img border=0
width=321 height=100 id="Picture_x0020_1"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01CB0EEB.12BD7260" alt="cid:20100618125857.001"></span><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <img
border=0 width=120 height=116 id="Picture_x0020_2"
src="cid:image002.jpg@01CB0EEB.12BD7260" alt="cid:20100618125857.002"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Tom
Van Arsdall <a href="mailto:tva@pollinator.org">tva@pollinator.org</a>
703.509.4746</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sunny
Boyd</span> <a href="mailto:sun@pollinator.org"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>sun@pollinator.org</span></a> <span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>415.362.1137</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pollinator Flight to
Front Stage </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normal'>4<sup>th</sup>
Annual National Pollinator Week, June 21-27, Brings Action Across the Land</span><o:p></o:p></h3>
<h3 align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'> <o:p></o:p></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Washington,
DC</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>, <i>for
Immediate Release</i>—<span style='color:black'>Members of both parties
of the US House of Representatives announced today the formation of the first <b>Congressional
Pollinator Protection Caucus</b> (CP2C) </span>urging colleagues to join them
in preserving pollinators. <span style='color:black'> CP2C plans to ensure
that accurate information is available to legislators and staff across a broad
spectrum of land issues. </span><b>Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)</b> and <b>Rep.
Tim Johnson (R-IL)</b> are co-chairing CP2C and are launching the caucus as
part of <b>National Pollinator Week</b>. A “Dear Colleague” letter
signed by the co-chairs and other founding Members is being sent to fellow
Members of Congress to encourage their participation in the caucus.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“With
one out of every third bite of food we humans consume dependent on bees and
other animals for their pollination services, legislators need accurate
information to help inform their positions,” commented <b>Rep. Hastings</b>.
“The caucus will seek out the best of pollinator science, economics and
best practices,” said <b>Rep. Johnson</b>. “This bi-partisan
effort aims to support legislators’ understanding of the needs of their
constituents with respect to pollinators, and we salute their cooperative drive
to ensure that this issue gets the attention it deserves,” commented <b>Pollinator
Partnership (P2) Executive Director Laurie Davies Adams. </b>P2 supports
National Pollinator Week and plays a leadership role on other pollinator
actions including the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC).
“NAPPC truly supports pollinator outreach through National Pollinator
Week, and we welcome this announcement from members of Congress. The honey bee
is just one pollinator that needs our attention to protect our future food and
ecosystems,” added <b>Prof. E. O. Wilson</b>, world renowned Harvard
biologist. <b>National Association of Conservation Districts President <span
style='color:black'>Steve Robinson</span></b> stated, “Pollinators are
critical to the health of the wild land and agricultural landscape, and we
welcome this much-needed focus.” </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Congressional
Briefing</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
– In conjunction with the CP2C launch, Members of Congress, staff, and
the public are invited to a briefing (program at </span><b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><a
href="http://www.pollinator.org/briefing.htm">www.pollinator.org/briefing.htm</a></span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>) by pollinator
experts on Thursday, June 24 at 3:30 PM at Longworth House Office Building,
Room 1302. As a special pollinator treat, pollinator supportive companies <b>Häagen-Dazs
Ice Cream </b>and<b> Burt’s Bees</b> will provide ice cream and lip balm
for attendees. Both <b>Burt’s Bees </b>and<b> Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream</b>
are committed to the health of the honey bees that are instrumental in their
products and in the well-being of plants, people and animals.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pollinator
Week Proclamations – Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsak</span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> put the official
stamp on National Pollinator Week with a signed proclamation, and he was joined
by more than 32 US State Governors in designating the last week of June as
Pollinator Week (all listed on <a href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</a>).
Pollinator Week is being celebrated in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and around the
globe.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Take
Action for Pollinators (TAP) –</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> What can the general public do for
pollinators? The myriad of answers will be spotlighted each week beginning
National Pollinator Week and will run for one year. This new web-based program
on <b><a href="http://www.pollinator.org/TAP.htm">www.pollinator.org/TAP.htm</a></b>
highlights specific actions that school groups, farmers, gardeners, foodies and
others can take to <b>“Take Action for Pollinators.”</b> The TAP
program begins with a call to farmers to visit NRCS offices around the country
to understand and participate in programs designed to provide programs to
support pollinator buffers on their land. Each week a different NAPPC partner
will provide a new call to action to a different constituency, and all actions
will be archived on the site. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Portraits
of Pollinators</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
– A new pollinator photograph contest for North American high school
students begins during National Pollinator Week and continues throughout the
summer, ending on October 1. Students are invited to send in their most
striking photographs of bees, bats, butterflies, hummingbirds and other
pollinating animals caught in the act of pollinating. Two winners will receive
a camera, and ten winners will receive a poster and have their photos posted on
the <a href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</a> website. You
can read about all the details which are available at <b><a
href="http://www.pollinator.org/photo_contest.htm">www.pollinator.org/photo_contest.htm</a></b>.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Other National Pollinator Week Activities –</span></b><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>
Pollinator supporters are taking action across the continent. Examples
include: (1) a USDA sponsored People’s Garden panel discussion on
“<i>Pollinators in Decline</i>” Monday, June 21 from 9:30 am to
10:30 am in Room 107-A of USDA’s Whitten Building in Washington, DC and
then an invitation to “<i>buzz on by!</i>” The USDA People’s
Garden from 10:30 am to 2 pm for numerous youth activities and exhibits about
pollinators</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>;
and (2) a multiple event week in Tucson, AZ that brings Pollinator Partnership,
Bat Conservation International, and Audubon together in pollinator activities.
Events and activities are listed by state and country at <b><a
href="http://www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2010.htm">www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2010.htm</a></b>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Island
Press Pollinator Special –</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <span style='color:black'>To celebrate
Pollinator Week, Island Press will offer a special discount on three seminal
books -- <em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Forgotten
Pollinators, Where Our Food Comes From</span></em> and <em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Public Produce</span></em>. A
$1.00 donation will also be made to the Pollinator Partnership for each book
sold by them to support their work.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Background
–</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
Colony Collapse Disorder continues to plague honey bees, stump researchers, and
be a major concern to agricultural communities. And honey bees are not the
only pollinators in peril; bumble bee species in the East and the West also are
vanishing from their customary habitats. Loss of pollinator habitat was a
major cause identified by the National Academy of Sciences-National Research
Council’s study of pollinators. By planting for pollinators, we can
rebuild pollinator habitat and make a significant, positive impact on the
survival rates for honey bees and other pollinators. Whether urban or rural,
pollinators obtain the vital nectar, pollen, and nesting resources they need to
thrive from key plant species. Mostly native, these plants are critical for
survival and can be incorporated easily into all landscapes. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“A
World of Pollinators”</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'> is the theme for 2010 National Pollinator Week. Schools,
corporations, garden clubs, nature centers, and government groups sponsor
events which teach pollinator-friendly practices and raise public awareness
about the importance of all pollinating species, including bees, bats, beetles,
butterflies, moths and even certain flies. National Pollinator Week includes
some new and fun outreach elements for 2010. <strong><span style='font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'>They include the free poster (</span></strong><em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>pictured below</span></em><strong><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>), free pollinator ringtones,
education wheels, and more. Visit </span></strong><a
href="http://www.pollinator.org/shop"><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>www.pollinator.org/shop</span></strong></a><strong><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>.</span></strong> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>National Pollinator Week is a project of the
North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (<a href="http://www.nappc.org">www.nappc.org</a>),
which is managed by the Pollinator Partnership</span></i><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>. To learn more,
visit <b><a href="http://www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2010.htm">www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2010.htm</a></b>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>R.
Thomas (Tom) Van Arsdall, Director of Public Affairs</span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>
Pollinator Partnership</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> (703)
509-4746</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>
<a href="mailto:tva@pollinator.org">tva@pollinator.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
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width=450 height=487 id="Picture_x0020_3"
src="cid:image003.jpg@01CB0EEB.12BD7260" alt="cid:20100618125857.003"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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